wrote in message
ups.com...
"Exactly. That's why the government needs to increase CAFE mileage
standards and other measures, such increasing the gasoline tax. But
they
lack the political cojones to do so.

Without intervention, we'll blissfully keep driving our ridiculous
SUV's. Using the marketplace for public policy ain't gonna work. "

Yeah, great idea. Increase taxes and give the govt more of our hard
earned money to waste. Remember Jimmy Carter pouring billions into
recovering oil from shale? How much was ever produced? Not one drop!
The free market is working perfectly fine. Sales of SUV's are already
way down.

What we should be doing is exploring for more oil in any reasonable
place. And that includes ANWR, which should have been done a long time
ago, if it were not for the environmental whackos.


Assume I'm right about the first paragraph below, for the sake of arguement,
and because I really *am* right about it:

The vast majority of SUV owners have absolutely no need for the mechanical
design features of those cars. No towing, no off-road, and as any cop, tow
truck driver or keen observer of drivers in the snow belt will tell you, 4WD
is of no advantage to most drivers, and may actually be a hindrance. The
only possible advantage to SUVs (and I won't touch this debate) is that they
may be safer in collisions.

With me so far?

Now, here's a way for the government to get involved only slightly, and the
car makers to make MORE money on SUVs. The government should find an
incentive (bludgeoning, in other words) to get the car makers to offer the
same SUVs, but with power trains which more closely approach "normal". "Not
like a truck", in other words. The power train design is the PRIMARY reason
these vehicles get such bad mileage. Give customers the same physical, boxy
shape they want, same choice of motors, but with front wheel drive. The car
makers can reduce the price a little, but probably make more, since most
customers have no real idea how much cheaper it is to make a 2wd vehicle.
And, offer 4wd versions for people who explicitly ask for them. I don't
think many will.